Tag: poetry community

Yecheilyah’s 7th Annual Poetry Contest: Time is Running Out!

It is already November 17th!

This is your reminder to submit your poem on or before December 1st to participate in this year’s poetry contest and win cash prizes and promotions.

Your poem must focus on joy in some way and be in our inbox on or before the clock strikes midnight on December 1, 2024!

Email your poem to support@yecheilyahsannualpoetrycontest.org.

Tips for Submitting Video:

Now that the contest is in full swing, you might be wondering how to submit a video of you reciting your poem. As you might recall, we are accepting audio and video submissions. If you choose this, remember you still must send us the written version.

  • You can upload it to YouTube or Vimeo. Set it to private and send us the link.
  • You can send it via Google Drive to support@yecheilyahsannualpoetrycontest.org.
  • You can use Dropbox. I have created a temporary account for us under support@yecheilyahsannualpoetrycontest.org.
  • There is a website that makes uploading large files super easy. It is called We-Transfer, and it’s free to use. Here is the link: wetransfer.com. In the email space, put support@yecheilyahsannualpoetrycontest.org.
  • Another website that allows video files to be sent is Sharefile. Here is the link: www.sharefile.com

Note: Do not upload your video to Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook because there is no way to keep it private (even with a private account). This is a competition. We don’t want anyone’s poetry leaked until the contest ends and the winners are announced. After that, you are welcome to distribute your work far and wide! (This also helps to protect your intellectual property!)

For details on entering, please click the link below and share this with the poets you know!

Click Here For the Entry Rules and Guidelines

If you would like to support our poets with a donation, you may do so by clicking on the website’s donation page here.

Hope to see you soon!

Yecheilyah’s 1st Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2017

Yecheilyah’s 2nd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2018

Yecheilyah’s 3rd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2019

Yecheilyah’s 4th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2021

Yecheilyah’s 5th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2022

Yecheilyah’s 6th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2023

When Artists Go to Work

Toni Morrison

You don’t have to write a think piece today.

You don’t have to post a long, drawn-out social media thread about America’s sins.

You don’t have to debate and argue with people in the comments.

It might look like a gloomy day for some of you, but I want to remind you that Joy remains.

And do you want to know why Joy remains?

Other than you woke up this morning?

As Toni Morrison puts it, this is precisely the time when artists go to work!

“There is no time for despair. No time for pity. We speak. We write. We do language.” – Toni Morrison

This raw vulnerability many of you are feeling is precisely what you should put into the work.

Allow this emotion, good or bad, to bleed into one of the most potent poems you have ever penned.

Let it be the most profound and truthful piece you’ve ever written.

You don’t have to post it to social media, but write it down.

What I know of moments: They pass.

This historical moment will be written on the pages of history books, so what should you do?

Do what you’ve always done. Do the work.

As one woman put it on Facebook:

“You are awakening to the same country you fell asleep to. The very same country. Pull yourself together. And when you see me, do not ask me, ‘What do we do now?’ How do we get through the next four years?’ Some of my ancestors dealt with at least 400 years of this under worse conditions. Continue to do the good work. Continue to build bridges, not walls. Continue to lead with compassion. Continue the demanding work of liberation for all. Continue to dismantle systems. Continue to set the best example for your children.”

“Continue to be a vessel of nourishing Joy.”

– Venice Williams

Remember, we are accepting submissions for this year’s poetry contest on Joy from now through December 1st! Get started by subscribing at yecheilyahsannualpoetrycontest.org.

Click Here For the Entry Rules and Guidelines

If you would like to support our poets with a donation, you may do so by clicking on the website’s donation page here.

Hope to see you soon!

Yecheilyah’s 1st Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2017

Yecheilyah’s 2nd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2018

Yecheilyah’s 3rd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2019

Yecheilyah’s 4th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2021

Yecheilyah’s 5th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2022

Yecheilyah’s 6th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2023

Pockets of Joy

She Wins Society, 2023

Last year, members of She Wins Society were surprised with awards in the mail honoring their contribution to the community. Imagine my excitement about getting Most Poetic Sister. Scrolling through pictures on my phone, this one stuck out as we prepare for our Conference and Awards Ceremony on November 9th!

It also revealed to me the role that photographs and images play in our joy.

Images are not only suitable for memories; they are silent whispers of time, capturing fleeting moments of joy and weaving stories without words. Pictures are pockets of bliss that freeze laughter and emotions we can experience whenever we look back at them. 

Sometimes, when I want to experience joy in a difficult moment, I look at snapshots of a happier time. Each frame holds a fragment of elation, and in their stillness, they evoke the essence of joyful energy. 

Remember, we are accepting submissions for this year’s poetry contest on Joy from now through December 1st! Get started by subscribing at yecheilyahsannualpoetrycontest.org.

Click Here For the Entry Rules and Guidelines

If you would like to support our poets with a donation, you may do so by clicking on the website’s donation page here.

Hope to see you soon!

Yecheilyah’s 1st Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2017

Yecheilyah’s 2nd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2018

Yecheilyah’s 3rd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2019

Yecheilyah’s 4th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2021

Yecheilyah’s 5th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2022

Yecheilyah’s 6th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2023

Yecheilyah’s 7th Annual Poetry Contest: Open for Submissions

Poetry Business Network Meeting in Atlanta this Weekend

I had an amazing time this weekend at the first in-person Poetry Business Network meeting in Atlanta. As I told my email list folks, it was refreshing to fellowship with people in person and to glean from the wisdom of legendary poets like Georgia Me (Def Poetry Jam), Rewop (who I met at the Poet Life Fest in 2022), and Taalam Acey.

The passion everyone displayed was empowering and helpful in motivating me to rescue my pen from the shadows and immerse myself deeper into Atlanta’s vibrant poetry community. Listening to these poets made me realize there is a lot I don’t know and helped me to understand the importance of knowing the individuals and the history of those who contributed to the development of the craft. It is not just about the writing. Studying the industry that houses these arts and their role in our evolution is also equally important. Imagine saying you are a poet and not knowing Gwendolyn Brooks or Maya Angelou.

It helps to sharpen your writing skills when you know more about your topics and community.

That said, I am excited to announce this year’s poetry contest is now open to accepting submissions!

You will have until December 1, 2024, to submit your poem. Our theme this year is Joy, and we will award our three finalists with cash prizes ranging from $50 to $150! For details on entering, please click on the link below, and be sure to share this with the poets you know!

Click Here For the Entry Rules, and Guidelines

If you would like to support our poets with a donation, you may do so by clicking on the website’s donation page here.

Hope to see you soon!

Yecheilyah’s 1st Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2017

Yecheilyah’s 2nd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2018

Yecheilyah’s 3rd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2019

Yecheilyah’s 4th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2021

Yecheilyah’s 5th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2022

Yecheilyah’s 6th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2023

Yecheilyah’s 7th Annual Poetry Contest 2024

It’s that time of the year, good people!

We are excited to announce that this year’s poetry contest will begin later this month and run through the end of the year.

This time, we will choose semi-finalists who will be highlighted on our social media. From those semi-finalists, we will choose three winners from the poets with the highest ratings by the judges.

It’s about to be a time!

The entry rules, guidelines, and list of prizes are now available on the website. (Remember, we have a website for the contests now!)

We are also doing something different: We are having the interview with the winners (semi-finalists and finalists) on Instagram Live! Words are too powerful to be limited to paper, especially when expressed in this medium. To quote Maya Angelou, Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning.”

So that is what we will do!

I got my Sidney Shaw voice ready to ask, “When did you first fall in love with poetry?”

Here are the official dates:

Submissions Accepted:

October 21st – December 1st

Semi-finalists announced:

December 20th

Finalists Revealed:

January 1, 2025

Please Click this Link For the Entry Rules, Guidelines, and Prize List

If you would like to support our poets with a donation, you may do so by clicking on the website’s donation page here.

Please feel free to share the flyer with all your poet friends. Even if you don’t enter, someone else might want to!

Hope to see you soon!

Yecheilyah’s 1st Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2017

Yecheilyah’s 2nd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2018

Yecheilyah’s 3rd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2019

Yecheilyah’s 4th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2021

Yecheilyah’s 5th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2022

Yecheilyah’s 6th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2023

Yecheilyah’s Annual Poetry Contest: Closing for Submissions Midnight!

First, my thoughts and prayers go out to all the Florida fam and anyone in the eye of the storm or who has been affected by Hurricane Ian in any way.

https://www.yecheilyahsannualpoetrycontest.org/

Today is the day!!


If you want a shot at winning one of the top four slots for this year’s poetry contest, be sure to email your poem to me at yecheilyah@yecheilyahysrayl.com by midnight tonight.

That’s 12a EST, 11p CST.

The rest of ya, figure out ya time zone, lol.

I know we can get a bit anxious as we wait for the results, so please take the time to review the following:

  • Poetry submissions close at the end of the day on September 30, 2022. I don’t read any poems until after the contest ends, and neither do my fellow judges. Feedback on entries will not be provided until the winners are announced.
  • We will announce the winners on November 1, 2022. I am an advocate for questions. Asking questions is how we learn. However, do not ask if I liked your poem or how I feel about it before the winners are announced on 11/1. 
  • Winners will be notified by email of their win at least one week before the public announcement to prepare them for their promotions. Our first-place winner also wins a personalized frame of their poem that must be customized, so the artist will need these details ahead of time.
  • It is imperative that the email you have on file is active and that it is the one you check often. We will need to pick another winner if we cannot contact you about your win in time. Not only do you not want this, but it also creates more work for us, so please be diligent. Start paying attention close to the end of Oct. Check your spam and junk folders. If we follow each other on IG, check your DM’s. Know I will do everything in my power to contact you, but if I have to call the FBI you’re gonna miss out.
  • If you submitted a poem, you should have received a reply saying your submission has been received. If you did not get this email, please resend it ASAP. 
  • We are giving away cash prizes this year, so when contacted about your win, we will ask you how you’d like to receive your money electronically. The other gifts will be shipped off to you.
  • You will be promoted on my blog, main author newsletter, Twitter, and IG pages @yecheilyah and @yecheilyahbooksllc.  Be sure you are following both (especially @yecheilyah, as it gets the most engagement).

What if I didn’t win?

We are only contacting the four winners. If, on November 1, you do not see your name among the winners, your poem has not been selected. 

I want to take the time to thank each and every one of you for participating in this contest. Putting yourself out there is not easy, and I am humbled that you’ve trusted me with your creative work. Make no mistake about it: without your support, there is no contest, so I am grateful, humbled, and excitedddd to read what you’ve blessed us with.

How Can I Read the Poems of Previous Winners?

You can check out the poems and interviews of previous winners at the links below.

**2020 was skipped per Covid when none of us knew what to do next.**

*FINAL CHECK* The little things can sometimes get away from us so remember: get your poem in BEFORE the deadline. Make sure it is on the topic of FREEDOM in some way. Double check you’ve sent it to the CORRECT email and that you are 18+.

Destiny

As we get closer to September and the close of this year’s poetry contest, I will post more poems from other artists to help spark creativity.

This year’s theme is Freedom, so we will focus on poems that have to do with that in some way.

This one, “Destiny” is from yours truly. Enjoy!

Photo by Pixabay

She could not tame the lyric

there was no trapping the soul

no caging the courage

no binding the song.

There was freedom in her fingers

and a revolution in her pen

this

was her prerogative

The path hard

but the calling HIGHER

the heroism of destiny

beckoning

to be set free

  • Source: Yecheilyah © 2022. (Listen to me recite this on Tik Tok @ yecheilyah or YouTube here.

Haven’t Sent Your Poem in Yet? Wanna win interviews, cash prizes and more?

Click Here!